JAMMU, Oct 10: J&K climbers held the state flag flying high during the 23rd North Zone Sport Climbing Competition held at Mira Model School, New Delhi with nine climbers winning 18 medals including 6 gold, 9 silver and 3 Bronze medals.

The best performance of the state team was on full display in the Boys category. Mrityunjay Sharma, an international climber, won the Bouldering as well as Speed climbing titles and also clinched a silver medal in lead climbing. Arun Deep Singh who entered Boys category this year only also put up his best performance to win two silver medals for the state in Bouldering and Speed climbing.

Another J&K climber Ajay Deep Singh bagged a bronze medal in Speed climbing. The remaining one gold medal in Lead and two bronze medals in lead and Bouldering went to Karan Singh of Haryana and Sangram Singh and Rohan of Delhi respectively.

The next best performance of state climbers came in the Sub Junior Girls category in which our climbers won 2 Gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal. While Asma Gul won 3 medals including 2 Gold and 1 silver in Bouldering, Speed and lead climbing respectively, Samiksha Manhas, comparatively a new climber also showed her class by winning a bronze medal in Speed climbing.

The darling of the crowd, Shivani Charak, who had won 3 gold medals last year and was tipped to repeat her performance this year also, regaled the crowd with her clean and power packed moves in lead climbing and bouldering to win the two titles but she was disqualified in speed climbing and her dream of repeating a hat trick this year was shattered.

Shilpa Charak, Shivani’s elder sister, in the Women’s category, also put her best performance to win three silver medals for the state. Ambreen Fatima, another senior climber, also bagged a bronze medal in speed climbing. All the three gold medals in this category were bagged by Shivpreet Pannu, an international climber of Punjab.

Another good performance came in the Sub Junior Boys category in which Ritesh Sharma clinched 2 silver medals in Lead and Speed climbing.

The other J&K climbers who impressed with their climbing skills in various categories but remained medal less were Rudra Partap Singh,Tanisha Chopra, Sonia Sharma, Zuffishan, Hardev Singh and Sonakshi.

Over all it was an excellent performance considering the fact that J&K climbers have no experience of climbing on international standard lead climbing wall and speed climbing wall with star holds and bouldering on international standard gymnasium. The state climbers could excel only because of sustained training and coaching camps sponsored by Sprawling Buds School and Tawi Trekkers J&K continuously for the last six months.

A total of 29 climbers and 3 officials of Mountaineering Association of J&K participated in the Zonal competition which was organized by Mira Model School under the aegis of Indian Mountaineering Foundation,North Zone Committee the apex zonal body for adventure sports. The J&K team was sponsored by J&K State Sports Council.

Meanwhile, on their return from the zonal competition, the medal winners called on the Joint Secretary J&K State Sports Council Shiv Kumar Sharma who welcomed the winners with garlands. He also promised all possible help from the State Sports Council for their further preparation for the National Climbing Competition scheduled to be organized at Indore from December 27 to 30.

SRINAGAR, Oct 10: Chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti has sought immediate redressal of connectivity issues of Leh and Kargil districts and in this regard requested the centre for taking appropriate measures.
In her letter to the union communications minister, Manoj Sinha, the chief minister said given the fact that these two districts remain cut off from the Valley for a major period of the year, mobile connectivity to the region ought to be made more dependable by taking appropriate measures.
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